Description
Book SynopsisWhile Fernando Ortiz''s contribution to our understanding of Cuba and Latin America more generally has been widely recognized since the 1940s, recently there has been renewed interest in this scholar and activist who made lasting contributions to a staggering array of fields. This book is the first work in English to reassess Ortiz''s vast intellectual universe. Essays in this volume analyze and celebrate his contribution to scholarship in Cuban history, the social sciencesnotably anthropologyand law, religion and national identity, literature, and music. Presenting Ortiz''s seminal thinking, including his profoundly influential concept of ''transculturation'', Cuban Counterpoints explores the bold new perspectives that he brought to bear on Cuban society. Much of his most challenging and provocative thinkingwhich embraced simultaneity, conflict, inherent contradiction and hybridityhas remarkable relevance for current debates about Latin America''s complex and evolving societies.
Trade ReviewThis volume is a compelling encounter with the many personas of Fernando Ortiz—anthropologist, lawyer, politician, humanist, and, perhaps most important, Cuban visionary. Ortiz's multidisciplinary contributions are approached with respect, affection, critical consciousness, and a welcome playfulness rarely seen in academic anthologies. Whether you are already familiar with the huge corpus left by Ortiz or discovering him for the first time, let this volume be your guide to the exuberance of Ortiz's legacy, which is not only a gift to Cuba but to our globalized world, struggling with ever more pathos to figure out why culture still matters. -- Ruth Behar, University of Michigan
This interesting collection of essays . . . highlights how relevant Ortiz's writings are to understanding contemporary as well as historical trends in the Americas. -- Susan Eckstein, Boston University
Table of ContentsPart 1 Introduction Part 2 Life and Education Chapter 3 Fernando Ortiz, My Father Chapter 4 Spanish Intellectuals and Fernando Ortiz (1900-1941) Chapter 5 It All Started in Madrid Chapter 6 Ethnography at the University of Havana Part 7 Interpreting Cuban History Chapter 8 Transculturation and Nationalism Chapter 9 The Early Republic: Politics, Civic Culture, and Sovereignty Chapter 10 The Political Ideas of Fernando Ortiz (1906-1933) Chapter 11 Economic Historian and Editor of Cuban Classics Chapter 12 Tobacco in the Contrapunteo: Ortiz and the Havana Cigar Part 13 Social Sciences and the Law Chapter 14 Economic Sociology and Ortiz's Counterpoint Chapter 15 Transcultural Anthropology in the Américas (with an Accent): The Uses of Fernando Ortiz Chapter 16 Poetry in the Presidio: Towards a Study of Proyecto de Código Criminal Cubano Part 17 Racial Diversity, Religion, and National Identity Chapter 18 The Term Afro-Cuban: A Forgotten Contribution Chapter 19 Transculturation a la Ajiaco: A Recipe for Modernity Chapter 20 Religion in the Work of Fernando Ortiz Part 21 Literature and Music Chapter 22 The Counterpoint and Literature Chapter 23 Of How Fernando Ortiz Foudn and Elusive Maiden for an Enchanted Gentleman Chapter 24 Comparative Analysis of Theoretical Symbols Chapter 25 Stirring the Ajiaco: Changüí, Son, and the Haitian Connection Chapter 26 Fernando Ortiz, Founder
